Roasted Tomato Bisque

The garden clean out produced more ripe tomatoes, and with the cooler weather a warm tomato soup is in order.  We had grilled cheese sandwiches with the soup--what else??

First step is to cut the tomatoes in half or quarters.  Arrange on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle on salt and pepper.  I also added some slices of garlic.  

Roast in a 350 oven until nice and soft.

Here are the tomatoes out of the oven.  The aroma is amazing.

Next step, put the tomatoes and all the pan drippings into a large dutch oven.  

Simmer and add the remaining ingredients.

Here's the entire recipe from Sweet Pea's Kitchen

5 1/4 pounds ripe but firm tomatoes, cored and quartered, divided

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

4 carrots, peeled and chopped (I used some canned carrots)

2 shallots, quartered

4 garlic cloves, crushed (I roasted the garlic with my tomatoes)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons dry sherry (I used dry white wine)

1 to 2 cups chicken broth, divided

1/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half, but go ahead and use cream if you have it)

1 tablespoon basil, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with foil; set aside.
In a large bowl, combine the 3 1/2 pounds of quartered tomatoes, olive oil, light brown sugar, carrots, shallots and garlic, and toss to coat. Season the vegetables lightly with salt and pepper. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet and roast until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. When the tomatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins and discard. Transfer the tomato flesh along with the rest of the roasted mixture to a large dutch oven and set aside.
Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, crushed red pepper, tomato paste, dry sherry, remaining 1 3/4 pounds of tomatoes and 1 cup chicken broth to the dutch oven and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth.
Add the heavy cream and return to simmer. Season to taste with salt, and pepper. If desired, add more chicken stock until your desired consistency. Sprinkle each bowl with basil before serving.

Enjoy Friends!

Tuscan Shrimp with White Beans

This recipe is from Michael Chiarello. I watched him make this on the Food Network.  It looked pretty easy, so I gave it a try a couple of times before doing this post.  This is just delicious!  The ingredients are readily available, you probably have most on hand.  I am lucky right now because I have fresh basil, parsley, tomatoes and hot peppers growing in the garden.

I made a recipe for two tonight (half this recipe), but here's the whole recipe from Michael:

3 Cups Cannelloni white beans
1/4 Cup plus 2 Tbl. extra-virgin olive oil
16 large shrimp, peeled (tail left on) and deveined
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 small jalapeno chili, diced
1 Cup whole basil leaves (no substitutions)
1 Cup peeled, seeded, diced fresh tomato
1 Tbl. lemon juice
2 Tbl. Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Best quality extra-virgin olive oil for drizzilng

1)  Have you tried or ever made fried basil?  This is so amazing!  Toss the whole basil leaves in some warm olive oil.  When it's crispy and crackling, take it out of the oil--quickly!  Also, please stand back, the basil will pop!

2)  Drain the white beans over a bowl, saving the liquid.  Put the beans in a skillet adding just enough of their liquid to moisten them.  Add 2 Tbl. of the olive oil and bring the beans to a simmer.  Keep them warm while you prepare the rest of the dish.

3) Heat 1/4 Cup oil in a large skillet.  Add the shrimp, season with salt and pepper cook for 1 minute, tossing frequently.  Remove the shrimp to a bowl.  Add the garlic to the pan and saute, add the minced jalapeno, cook for 1 minute.  Add the tomato, stir briefly, add the shrimp and lemon juice.  Here are the individual ingredients before tossing together.

4) Spoon the white beans on a platter or individual plates, drizzle with the best olive oil you have, top with the shrimp/tomato mixture, place fried basil on the side -- to eat of course!

This is fresh, delicious, healthy, etc. etc.  Enjoy friends!

Tilapia en Papillote (in Parchment)

I have known about this technique for years, but this summer I watched Mario make Halibut en Papillote on "The Chew" tv show.  It seemed like a light delicious way to prepare fish and especially for a summer dish.  So here it is:

Gather the ingredients and let's get cooking!

4 (4 ounce) tilapia fillets

salt and fresh ground pepper

1 large tomato, chopped

1 clove garlic thinly sliced

1 shallot thinly sliced

4 fresh basil leaves thinly sliced

1 1/2 tsp. capers, drained

4 tsp. fresh lemon juice

1/4 Cup white wine

1 Tbl. butter

Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Oil a baking sheet with some olive oil so that the bottoms of the parchment packets will brown when baking.

Prepare four sheets of parchment paper by folding each sheet in half and placing a tilapia fillet centered onto one of the sides.  Season the fillet with salt and pepper.  Top each of the four fillets with equal amounts of tomato, garlic, shallot, basil, and capers.  Sprinkle with lemon juice.  Dot one Tbl. of butter on top, drizzle with white wine.

Lay the other half of the parchment over the half with the fillet.  Start folding and creasing, folding and creasing until the entire fillet is sealed up. One chef brushes the edges of the parchment with egg wash to help it stick together.  (So that's what I did.)  Place the parchment packets on the oiled baking sheet you prepared earlier.  Drizzle the tops with a little olive oil.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Look at this beauty after baking for 20 minutes.

To serve, cut a slit with a sharp knife in the center, then tear the packet open.  The steam will escape so be careful.  When the packet is opened, the aroma of the fish and all the toppings will knock your sox off!  Serve immediately in the parchment packet.  If you have guests, let them open their own packet and be amazed at what a great cook you are!

Enjoy friends!

Angry Shrimp with Garlic, Chili, Basil Oil

Hungry for a different way to have shrimp?  Different than the standard Shrimp Cocktail?  

Here's the recipe that will become one of your favorites, like it is ours!

First make a spicy mixture of flour, red pepper flakes, and chipotle chili pepper, salt & pepper.  Dredge the cooked, deveined, thawed shrimp in the flour mixture.

 Leave the tails on so you will have a little "handle"

Finely mince some garlic and chili pepper.  About a tablespoon of each.  

You will also need a tablespoon of dried minced basil.

Warm some olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Add the shrimp.  

Don't move it around,it needs to get crispy.

Flip 'em over and crisp the other side.

Drain the shrimp on a paper towel.  Add the garlic, chili, and basil to the remaining oil in the skillet.

Swish it around until the garlic is kinda soft.

Pool the garlic, chili, basil oil on a serving plate,

arrange the shrimp on top.

Alternately, you can drizzle the oil over the shrimp.

Tonight I served the shrimp with toasted garlic sourdough bread.

Enjoy friends!